Just around the corner: Convocation, Orientation Week

The 2005-2006 academic year is just around the corner, starting with the Monday, Aug. 22, University Convocation and Orientation Week activities.

The Convocation, academia's traditional opening event, will start at 9 a.m. Monday in Bresnan Arena, preceded by an 8:30 a.m. reception on the Bresnan Concourse. President Richard Davenport will discuss the University's transformation and future in his address. After the Convocation all faculty and staff are invited to the annual campus cookout, hosted by President Davenport on the University's central Mall.

Many gatherings are scheduled during Orientation Week Monday through Friday, Aug. 22-26. The entire schedule may be found online>>.

In addition to the Convocation and cookout, other events include:

A President's Reception for new faculty and staff, 5:30 p.m. Monday in the CSU Heritage Room;

Individuals with a disability who need reasonable accommodations to participate in these events should contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 389-1333 or 711 (MRS/TTY) at least 72 hours in advance.

'Famous Dave' to be homecoming speaker

Dave Anderson, founder of the Famous Dave's barbeque restaurants, will be the featured speaker and grand marshal at the Homecoming celebration Sept. 26 through Oct. 1.

Anderson will meet with students, speak to members of the campus community and serve as grand marshal of the Homecoming Parade.

He will discuss "Famous Dave's Life Skills for Success" in a talk on Thursday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m., Bresnan Arena of Taylor Center). The event is free to students, faculty and staff; community members may purchase tickets for $5 starting August 29 in CSU 173 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.). He will ride in the Homecoming Parade on Friday, Sept. 30 (starting at 4 p.m.).

In the last 20 years Anderson helped found three publicly traded companies, creating more than 18,000 jobs. He was awarded a Bush Leadership Fellowship, received a master's degree from Harvard University, and was recognized as the "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year" in Minnesota and the Dakotas by Ernst & Young, NASDAQ and USA Today.

He is an enrolled member of the Chippewa and Choctaw tribes and has served on numerous federal boards under Presidents Carter, Reagan and Bush. In 2003 President Bush appointed him to the President's Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities. In 2004 the President appointed him assistant secretary for the Department of Interior-Indian Affairs.

Anderson recently stepped down as chairman of Famous Dave's, and is now devoting his time and energy to community service and improving the lives of others. He provided $1.4 million to found the LifeSkills Center for Leadership, a program for disadvantaged Native American children. Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network recognized his work with at-risk youth, and he received the Odyssey Award from Big Brothers-Big Sisters for significant professional and community contributions.

Individuals with a disability who need reasonable accommodations to participate in these events should contact the Office of Disability Services at 389-2825 or 711 (MRS/TTY) at least 72 hours in advance.

Student Health Services is re-accredited

Student Health Services has been re-accredited for three years by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

Not all health-care organizations seek accreditation, and some that do so are not granted credentials. Some receive six-month or one-year accreditation only. Three-year accreditation is the longest award given by AAAHC.

Reception for new women employees is Sept. 6

The President's Commission on the Status of Women and the Department of Women's Studies will sponsor a reception for new women employees on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The annual reception is intended to give women who have been hired over the last year an opportunity to meet other new and returning women at MSU. The event will be from 4-5:30 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Heritage Room of Centennial Student Union. Refreshments will be provided.

The President's Commission on the Status of Women is co-chaired by Deirdre Rosenfeld and Kelly Meier.

Roomful of Blues to perform Sept. 7

Internationally acclaimed blues and swing band Roomful of Blues will launch the 10th annual Minnesota State Mankato Performance Series with a concert Wednesday, Sept. 7.

The concert, in Halling Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center, will be at 7:30 p.m.

Roomful of Blues employs a masterful combination of jumping, hard-edged blues and R&B. Its music is characterized by a deeply rooted, horn-driven blend of swing, rock 'n roll, jump, blues and soul.

Since it was founded in 1967, the band has boasted great musicianship, with a stellar horn section. It has earned five Grammy Award nominations and many other accolades, including four W.C. Handy Blues Awards. In 2004 the band won two Handy Awards: Instrumentalist of the Year-Horns, and the coveted Blues Band of the Year Award. The prestigious DownBeat International Critics Poll twice selected it as “Best Blues Band.”

General admission is $18 ($9 for Minnesota State students). Those who want tickets or more information may call (507) 389-5549.

Individuals with a disability who need reasonable accommodations to participate in these events should contact the Office of Disability Services at 389-2825 or 711 (MRS/TTY) at least 72 hours in advance.

Alum raising $10,000 for Leukemia-Lymphoma Society

Minnesota State Mankato alum Lora Brown-Dean (1984), a manager at Sprint, will run in Nike's San Francisco Marathon, Oct. 23 as a member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training to raise $10,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her effort is in support of another alum and Sprint employee, Ronald J. Groves (1990) of Farmington, Minn., who has Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Lora graduated with a BS in Business Administration. Ron, who graduated with a BS in Speech Communications, was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia after a routine physical in 2003. He receives care from a Mayo Clinic hematologist and uses a new drug that is controlling his disease at present. But Ron says "other CML patients aren't as fortunate, and need to think about a bone marrow transplant."

Leukemia affects 33,440 Americans per year, and about 23,300 people will die from it in 2005. There is no known cure, but Ron points out that research and development can create new treatments that will control the disease in the future.

Nontraditional Student Services Office relocated

The Nontraditional Student Services Program has been relocated from the Women's Center to the Office of Student Leadership Development & Service Learning.

The move will enhance staffing and increase nontraditional students' access to the services they need. It also will allow the Women's Center to return to its central focus of serving women students, in an attempt to enhance their success.

Lauren Long in the Student Leadership Development & Service Learning office is responsible for the Nontraditional Student Services program. Lauren and her staff use the following criteria to help identify undergraduate students who could benefit from these services:

Over age 24;

Married, partnered, widowed or divorced;

A parent;

Starting or returning to college at any time other than immediately following high school;

A veteran.

Margot Zelenz is named advancement AVP

Margot Zelenz will join the Minnesota State Mankato advancement team on Sept. 1 as associate vice president for university advancement.

Margot currently is director of advancement for Scholarship America in St. Peter. She has been with Scholarship America since October 2001, and before that was director of major gifts at Gustavus Adolphus College for 12 years. She also spent four years as a major and planned giving officer at Carleton College, and three years as director of annual giving and two years as assistant director of development at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.

"I ask that you join me in thanking Kelley Olson for her excellent work as our interim associate VP," said Dave Williams, vice president for university advancement. "I have greatly valued Kelley's willingness to plunge in, learn our systems and procedures, and help with the major task of bringing our development team together in our building."

New interim directors of Student Involvement, CSU

Walt Wolff has been named interim supervisor to the Student Involvement Services departments (Campus Recreation, Centennial Student Union, SLDSL and Women's Center), and Mike Hodapp has been named interim director of the CSU.

Vice President for Student Affairs Pat Swatfager-Haney made the appointments after receiving feedback and recommendations from the Student Affairs Council and the CSU staff.

"Walt and Mike will serve the University well in these roles," she said. "Walt has considerable experience in student affairs and is looking forward to working with the staff in these areas. I am pleased that he has agreed to serve in this capacity. Mike has been involved with the student union for a number of years and is experienced in the various aspects of the student union as well as in working with students, staff and faculty. I ask you to join me in welcoming him to this role."

Transitions

Personnel comings and goings at MSU:

Rochelle Bollman is new to Residential Life; Lisa Brady recently joined Building Services; Jennifer Bruns is new to Campus Recreation; Shana Fox has joined the School of Nursing; Kaye Herth has rejoined the College of Allied Health & Nursing; David Lockett is new to the Center for School-University Partnerships; and Brian Wollum recently joined Admissions.